Henrico County Manager John A. Vithoulkas announces the appointment of Laura S. Totty as director of Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services (MH/DS), effective Sept. 20.
Totty has more than 31 years of experience with MH/DS, having served as a residential counselor, residential service specialist, program coordinator, program manager and director of the Clinical and Prevention Services division. She has served as acting director since August, when Michael D. O’Connor retired as director. He had served MH/DS for more than 35 years, including 10 years as director.
MH/DS provides community-based mental health, intellectual disability, substance abuse, prevention and early intervention services to residents of Henrico, New Kent and Charles City counties. As director, Totty will work with the MH/DS Board to oversee an agency with a budget of $34 million and 355 employees in fiscal year 2014-15.
Totty holds a bachelor’s degree in management, housing and family development from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.
